Little corellas causing big problems

The Barossa Council said the birds are causing a big menace - stripping leaves from trees, eating through electrical wires, and causing pine cones to drop on cars. They're also noisy for residents.

The Council's Director of Environmental Services, Ian Baldwin, said they're trying non-invasive measures to try and get the 3000-strong flock to move away.

"We're using very strong flash lights, flashing lights and torches to just try and interrupt their roosting habits, but more recently we've introduced the firing of a starting pistol to try and shake them up also.

"Beyond that I guess the other measure is to look at culling the flock, but that's very difficult in a residential area and it's certainly the last option."

Mr Baldwin said the birds are not just annoying but can have economic impacts for the community.

"They compete for food, so grain seeds and stock feed, they can damage fruit crops, and of course they upset the tourists as well with their screeching and carrying on."

This is not the first year Nuriootpa has faced a corella conundrum, and they're not alone.

"Unfortunately it's a problem that occurs pretty much every year around spring and early summer and at different locations through the area, it's just unfortunate that these flocks keep coming back.

"It's not just this council, other councils throughout the state are experiencing similar problems."

Mr Baldwin said they're waiting to see how effective this new deterrent program proves.

"If we can continue with these measures and see if we can upset their roosting habits, we've got a chance of moving them on, but it'll be time that tells us just how successful those measures are."